The present invention relates to an adjustable workpiece supporting frame for use with an abrasive saw supported relative to a base pan, and more particularly to a removably mounted adjustable workpiece supporting frame which provides both lateral and longitudinal adjustment of a workpiece relative to the abrasive saw.
In my prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,159, there is disclosed a portable direct drive abrasive saw particularly well suited for cutting ceramic floor tile bricks, or other masonry, metal, or refractory materials. In the installation of ceramic flooring or roof tile, it is often necessary for the tile installer to specially trim the tile pieces to precisely fit along walls, around pipes, door moldings and other unusual shaped surfaces. By utilizing the rotary abrasive saw apparatus disclosed in my prior patent, tile installers may precisely cut tile to a desired dimension, resulting in a neat appearance for the tile, and avoiding the inadvertent breaking of the tile along dimensioned lines not desired. As disclosed in my aforementioned patent, a workpiece supporting table is reciprocably mounted on frame rails supported by to the base pan, in order to support the work desired to be cut, while also enabling the work be moved toward and away from the saw, as may be desired. The abrasive saw apparatus disclosed in my prior patent is typically constructed for use with relatively smaller tile or other materials that can be readily and easily manipulated on the reciprocably mounted table.
Where it is desired to cut much larger tiles, for example, tiles measuring 16 inches by 16 inches, 18 inches by 18 inches or even 36 inches by 36 inches, having a thickness of 1/2 up to 3 inches, the apparatus of my aforementioned patent is generally not capable of supporting and at the same time cutting such heavier tiles, as may be desired. For example, it may be desired to cut a 18 inch by 18 inch tile on the diagonal or cut a 36 inch by 36 inch tile down the middle in one pass.
As will be readily understood, such desired cutting of heavier tile requires a workpiece supporting frame that will not only support heavier workpieces, but which will also permit the workpiece to be adjusted relative to the saw for the different types of cutting that are desired. At the same time, the adjustments must be relatively precise to cut the tile exactly to the dimension that is desired.